


Breathe Deeply

by pleasereadmeok



Category: Downton Abbey
Genre: F/M, just for fun
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-20
Updated: 2016-01-20
Packaged: 2018-05-15 01:18:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5766451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pleasereadmeok/pseuds/pleasereadmeok
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Once in the bedroom Henry set about taking off Mary’s shoes and clothes. Normally this would be an easy task for him because he was experienced in undressing his wife quickly in the grip of passion, but today he was not motivated by lust, now his hands shook and somehow every item of clothing got stuck.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Breathe Deeply

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote ‘seriously’ about Mary and Henry having a baby in ‘Captured’ – nearly a year ago (!) and I was tempted to go there again. However I figure that other fic writers would be able to bring far more realism and emotion to that story line than I ever could. So I decided to write something more light-hearted on the subject. What if Henry, who has to be one of the coolest guys in 1925/26, goes into panic mode when Mary goes into labour? I don’t think I have heard either of these two characters swear but I suspect that in such a tense situation they both might use a bit of bad language! I know there are so many clichés in this – well – it’s just a bit of fun.

Mary could not stop laughing. Henry was telling her a funny story about a man who wanted to test-drive a car from ‘Talbot and Branson’.  
“He wanted to try the back seat to see if he could make love to his mistress in there. So I got in the back with him and I really thought he was going to try acting it out with me! So I said, “Well I suppose it could be possible but you’d have to watch out for the gearstick,” and got out as quickly as I could!”  
Henry was making her laugh so much Mary was having trouble catching her breath.  
“Please, you have to stop! I’m heavily pregnant and I’ll wet myself if you keep this up!”  
Just then her waters broke.  
“Crikey, you weren’t joking,” he pulled a face, “it wasn’t _that_ funny.”  
“Oh good grief Henry I have NOT wet myself! My water’s have broken.”  
“Oh thank god for that.”  
He was relieved at first that incontinence was not the problem but then he looked in shock at the small pool of liquid on the floor of the library. Realisation dawned. It was then that Mary’s usually cool, calm and collected in any circumstances husband turned into a maniac.  
“Oh my god! This is really happening now? We’re having a baby?”  
“Um, actually Henry I think that _I_ will be having the baby.”

Henry scooped Mary up and carried her out of the room.  
“Henry, I can walk, it’s fine.”  
“No, I’m not taking any risks,” he said as he accidentally hit Mary’s head on the edge of the library door.  
“Ow!”  
“Sorry darling. Mr Barrow will you send for Dr Watson please?”  
“ _Clarkson_!” Mary corrected, “I don’t think we need Sherlock Holmes to deliver the baby.”  
“Yes Sir, Milady, of course and I’ll send Anna up as well.”  
“Thank you Mr Barrow!” 

Henry bounded up the stairs with Mary in his arms and along the way he managed to hit her elbows or feet on every banister. Then when he reached the top of the stairs he tripped, nearly dropping her onto the gallery landing.  
“Henry I’m going to be black and blue with bruises when you are finished with me!”

Once in the bedroom Henry set about taking off Mary’s shoes and clothes. Normally this would be an easy task for him because he was experienced in undressing his wife quickly in the grip of passion, but today he was not motivated by lust, now his hands shook and somehow every item of clothing got stuck. He lifted Mary’s dress over her head and suddenly she was tangled up like she was in a straightjacket.  
“Henry who do you think I am - Harry Houdini?”  
Unfortunately Mary did not have the escapologist’s skills, so Henry just tore the dress in two to free her.  
“I’ll buy you a new one.”

“Do you have a nightdress you want to wear?”  
“In the top drawer.” Mary gestured towards the place.  
“This?”  
“Yes.”  
Henry pulled it out from the drawer, ripping it down the back on the edge of the dressing table. He held up the torn nightdress and stared at it with a pained expression – if he carried on like this his wife would have no clothes left in one piece.  
“Um – I’ll add that to the shopping list,” he muttered under his breath.  
Luckily Mary didn’t see it and he acted as if nothing was amiss. 

Henry covered Mary’s nakedness with the nightgown and unbelievably she didn’t notice the draught at the back.  
“I’m not quite sure how I feel about another man seeing you _down there_.”  
His face contorted into a grimace.  
“Henry for heavens sake he’s a doctor!”  
“I know – but all the same.”  
“Argh!!”  
“OK I’m just being stupidly jealous.”  
“No you idiot, it’s a contraction.”  
“Oh my god it really hurts doesn’t it? I had no idea it would be so bad for you – I’m so sorry.”  
“Oh god they are coming fast. If you think this is bad now –just wait until later!”

“Breathe deeply darling.”  
Mary looked at Henry like she wanted to hit him.  
“I AM breathing deeply and it is NOT helping!”  
“Er. Well hold my hand then.”  
Another contraction came.  
“ARGH!”  
“Bloody hell, you nearly broke my hand!!”  
“I don’t care, YOU are responsible for this pain, I want you to suffer too!”  
Henry was indeed suffering, his hand was throbbing, but he thought better of telling Mary.  
“Do you need to bite down on something to help you with the pain?”  
“Good idea – give me your hand again!”

Anna rushed into the room just as Mary was having another contraction and swearing loudly at Henry.  
“Bloody men, they have NO idea what we go through to produce their babies. Now get out and leave us to get on with it!!”  
“Um. I think I ought to stay to keep your spirits up until Dr Watson arrives…”  
“NO! I think you should go now before this really does become a crime scene - because _I am going to kill you!!”_  
Henry looked hurt.  
“And don’t start that you bastard it is all your fault that I’m in so much… argh… pain. I HATE you!”  
“And I love you too. Chin up darling, I’ll see you later.”

Henry kissed Mary’s forehead, and then rushed from the room, only to be met by Tom holding two large glasses of brandy on the landing.  
“How’s she doing?”  
“Well she hates me and she’s calling me a bastard – is that good?”  
“About normal in the circumstances I'd say!”  
Henry drank his brandy down in one go as Tom looked on with a knowing smile.  
“Right, I think you need another one of those. Let’s go down to the library – the worst part is the waiting and we might as well be comfortable.”  
“Oh god I had no idea she would be in so much pain. I feel so responsible, so useless.”

Before Tom and Henry had a chance to get half way down the stairs, Anna shouted after them.  
“Mr Talbot the baby is coming too fast, Dr Clarkson won’t get here in time and I need your help.”  
Henry grabbed Tom’s brandy and gulped that down too before dashing back to his wife’s side.  
“Darling can’t you hold on a little longer?”  
“Argh! No I can’t, this baby is coming now whether we are ready or not.”

Henry shouted to Tom, “I think we’re going to need a lot more brandy!!”  
“Sir she shouldn’t have alcohol, not now.”  
“It’s not for Mary, it’s for me!”

“Argh!”  
“Sir I think you will need to help.”  
“Me?!”  
“Yes sir I’m just not strong enough.”  
“Oh god. Right, I can do this, I’ve delivered calves.”  
“Are you calling me a cow?!”  
“No darling of course not. I suppose it’s just like catching a Rugby ball or something like that?”  
“Um. Probably.” Anna was having serious doubts that Mr. Talbot was the right man for the job.  
“Anna just get him away from me - my baby is not a Rugger ball!” Mary screamed.

“Sir it’s the head – it’s coming.”  
“Can you push darling? Really, really hard.”  
The baby flopped out into Henry’s waiting hands and it was then that his Rugby skills, that Mary had scoffed at, turned out to be indispensible. The slippery bundle nearly popped out of his hands on to the floor and he caught it just in time.  
“Whoops! Oh my god it’s a boy!”  
On cue the baby cried – probably because her father had mistaken her gender.  
“Er. Sir that’s the cord – it’s a girl.”  
“Oh my god it’s a girl!”  
He carefully cut the cord and placed the brand new baby on Mary’s chest wrapped in a towel.

“Darling you clever girl. She’s beautiful like her mother,” the baby howled, “and she’s definitely got your lungs as well.”  
“I’m sorry I shouted. I don’t blame you for the pain – not really.”  
“Well I blame myself. I promise I’ll never do this to you again. We are never having sex again.”  
“Argh!!”  
“No I really do promise – honestly.”  
“Argh!!”  
“Sir I don’t think we are finished.”  
“WHAT?!”  
“Sir there’s another baby.”  
“Surprise!” Mary sighed weakly.  
The colour drained from Henry’s face and he looked at Anna in amazement.  
“Anna did you know about this?”  
“Yes sir.”  
“Twins?!” 

Henry woke a while later covered in blood and other unmentionable fluids, with a throbbing nose.  
“What happened? Did you hit me?”  
“No. You fainted and fell face first onto the bedside table. You look like you have done ten rounds with Jack Dempsey!”  
“Oh my god how long have I been out? The other baby?”

Henry scrambled to his feet and saw that Anna was already in position to deliver the ‘surprise’ baby, who appeared just as easily as the first.  
“Darling you wonderful woman it’s a boy – it is a boy isn’t it Anna?”  
Anna confirmed it with a chuckle, “Yes sir, I think you are right this time.” 

“There’s no more are there? No more little surprises?”  
Mary reassured her traumatised husband, “No, I promise.”  
Dr Clarkson arrived just in time to finish the delivery. Henry stayed by Mary’s side and tried to avert his eyes from the ‘business end’ of the proceedings. It wasn’t hard, he was so preoccupied with his wife, mopping her brow and kissing her face to encourage her.

Henry sighed with relief when it was all over, happily holding two, towel wrapped, bundles and cuddling up to a sleepy Mary on the bed.  
“I can’t believe I turned into a gibbering idiot – I really can’t apologise enough. I let you down.”  
“But you did deliver our baby girl. Who’s got a clever Papa?” She cooed at the babies. “It’s a disturbing experience – _for a man_. I’m not surprised you panicked a little.”  
“I am – I was in a war for god sakes, I thought I could handle anything.”  
“Well your reaction didn’t surprise me. Actually I think your promise that we would never have sex again was the real surprise of the evening!”  
“Ahh … well… perhaps I was a bit hasty about that…”

**Author's Note:**

> Jack Dempsey was a famous boxer in the 1920's.


End file.
